Preparing for discharge
We have a dedicated patient information leaflet offering support for Discharge Planning.
You can also listen to the information by pressing the play button below.
Welcome
During your hospital stay, we will do our best to make you feel comfortable and ensure you receive the very best care and treatment. We know that staying in hospital can be a stressful time for you and for your loved ones.
Our number one priority is to support you in a safe recovery so that you can return home as soon as you are medically well, which is also known as medically optimised. This may not mean a full physical recovery, as we can continue to support you in the community if required.
Planning your discharge together
It is important that, together, we plan your discharge. Together involves you, the care team and any family, carers or friends you wish to be included.
Hospitals are the right place to be when you are ill and require help from the acute care team. However, spending more time in hospital than you need to can do more harm. You will recover far better at home or in your usual community setting. Staying in hospital increases the risk of becoming unwell from other infections and becoming deconditioned (losing strength and independence).
Staying in hospital longer than necessary also means other acutely unwell patients may have a delay in accessing the urgent hospital beds they need.
Helpful questions to ask
Attached below is a list of really important questions with regard to your discharge. Please consider your answers, and if helpful or possible, make notes. If you or your family have any concerns or are aware of any circumstances that will impact on your discharge arrangements, please let a member of the care team know as soon as possible.
Additional Support / Further Health and Social Care Assessments:
If you require additional support, or it is not safe to return home, a team of health and social care professionals will support you. A discharge co-ordinator, therapist and member of the social care team may be involved. Initial conversations or assessments will take place in hospital, though some assessments may be completed outside of the hospital setting. We have a range of community services available to enable this assessment to take place at home. If we can’t assess you at home, your assessment may take place in one of our temporary bed-based settings across Calderdale or Kirklees.
Further information included in the leaflet:
- what to expect on the day of discharge
- what to expect following discharge
- sick note
Useful contacts
- Huddersfield Royal Infirmary switchboard (HRI): 01484 342 000
- Calderdale Royal Hospital switchboard (CRH): 01422 357 171
Discharge Team
- HRI: 01484 342 900
- CRH: 01422 222 504
Medication helpline: 01422 224 356
Social Services / Health and Social Care Needs
- Calderdale Gateway to Care: 01422 393 000
- Calderdale District Nursing Single Point Acess: 01422 652 291
- Kirklees Community Health and Social Care Hub: 0300 304 5555
- Kirklees Out of Hours Emergency: 01484 414 933
Equipment
- Calderdale Equipment Loan Stores: 01422 261 399
- Kirklees Medequip: 01484 728970
Age UK
- Calderdale: 01422 252 040
- Kirklees: 01484 535 994
NHS Volunteers
- 0800 196 3646
- nhscarevolunteerresponders.org
Compliments and Concerns
We hope you are happy with the care provided and have a safe and pleasant discharge. If you have any concerns, complaints, compliments, or feedback please raise them with the Ward Nurse in Charge/ Co-Ordinator, or see our Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALs) page.
Friends and Family Test (FFT)
Good care or poor care? Let us know. Please help us improve the quality of our service by telling us about the care you received.
To leave your anonymous feedback you can:
- Visit our dedicated Friends and Family Test page and select the Inpatient / Daycase option
- Complete a FFT card (please ask a member of staff for a card)
- Respond if you receive a text message from us (text message is free)
Patient Satisfaction Surveys
A member of staff may be in touch once you are discharged to talk about your experience or ask you to complete a questionnaire. If you do not wish to participate, we understand and will respect your decision.
